By Lisa 
“I don’t know what I want but I expect you to know.”
“You need to change the paragraphs from having square markers to dot markers on this PowerPoint.”
“I’m the boss and this project was a success because of my ideas.”
Ever had a boss who said one (or Lawd help you, ALL) of the above sentences? I bet your workweek seemed like a month and Sunday nights were all about dreading a repeat.
Have you also had a boss who made you enjoy coming to work? Someone who made you want to achieve your goals and be proud of your accomplishments?
And now that you have been promoted to a leadership role (congrats!) you want to be THAT kind of boss. A leader who motivates his or her team, strives for excellence, creates a great working environment where employees act as a team and celebrate their success.
But how? You need to ramp up quickly and there isn’t enough time to read a bunch of books on leadership or to go to a seminar. Here are three simple ways to become a great leader NOW:
- Be very clear in your communication. Let your team know your expectations, your goals, your projects and your priorities. Make sure each member of the team understands their role completely and keep an open door policy for any questions, ideas or concerns.
- Don’t major in the minors. Let your team members do their jobs without micromanaging their projects or their workday. If you have good employees who are making mistakes, train them. Ask them what they need in order to be successful. Go back over expectations and goals and get additional resources to help your employees succeed. Keep an open mind for new creative ideas.
- Give your team members all the credit. Praise their efforts, their successes and their creativity from beginning to end of a project. Make sure each member of the team is getting credit for their individual success. Always let your own boss know what each person has done and do so in front of others as well as in writing. Don’t underestimate the value of a congratulatory letter or certificate-it will mean a lot to the employee receiving it. Celebrate success at the end of every project.
When you provide clear vision of your goals and expectations, let people do their jobs while giving them the resources to do so and praise their success, you are well on your way to being a great leader.
And when the project is done, continue to hone your skills through books on leadership and seminars. A leader is always a lifetime learner!